Title: Where The Boys Are: Murder, Martinis, and Mayhem... Boys will be Boys
Author: Christopher Murphy
Genre: LGBTQ Thriller, Thriller
Book Blurb:
Love-cursed journalist, Quinn Harris, has a terrible talent for being at the wrong place at the right time. When a chance reunion brings him face to face with a flame from his past the sparks quickly turn to ice as evidence of foul play arises! He soon learns that it’s no coincidence his high school crush disappeared years ago, without a trace. It’s also no coincidence that his victims look exactly like Quinn… The body count and the stakes are high as Quinn works to unravel the truth behind a string of unanswered murders that hit dangerously close to home. Murder, martinis, and mayhem rule in this stylish LGBTQ thriller from Christopher Murphy.
My Review:
I think I made the mistake of not reading a blurb but only going by the three "reviews" that were in the spot reserved as a front cover. I was sent on another path. I was of the opinion I was about to open a mystery book crafted by a genius.
The book starts slow. The attention to detail in the description in the first chapter was a bit too much for the common reader. That the first chapter isn't what everyone who's reading it thinks it is...that is a bigger issue. That unique approach to a story left me with the initial feeling of tossing my tablet. I realized quickly it wasn't my tablet's fault so I apologized to my tablet and bought it a nice dinner.
The book is about a reporter named Quinn who is investigating someone I immediately saw as Jeffery Dahmeresque. Let me also state as the person who reviewed Chrysalis by Theresa Dale, I am not bothered at all by LGBTQ+ writing. When presented in a smooth fashion, an unbiased reader doesn't realize a book has a sexuality, it is all and I mean ALL about the story.
This book read like a novel version of the exploitation movies made in the last century. The best friend of Quinn - Bailey - is written like an unimaginably over the TOP version of the character Hollywood Montrose from the movie Mannequin.
There is an over-arching subtext that, in the view of this story, the world is gay and everyone is just living in it. The story about corruption and influence-peddling was very well done. There is a part in the book where a 'hard-done-to' detective explains she is only on the take to support her special needs kid. There is never a good excuse for committing a felony or throwing away public trust. A child of a cop who committed a felony to ensure their upbringing would be humiliated to have that person as a parent. The goal to take down the influence peddler was one part of Quinn I really admired.
If you are a fan of an LGBTQ+ version of Sex in the City, then this book is for you. If you like cold case investigations of serial killers, this book might be for you too.
My Rating: 4 stars
Buy it Now:
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-the-boys-are-christopher-murphy/1133180555?ean=9781686801136
Author Biography:
Christopher Murphy is an activist, artist, and author of the new novel, Where The Boys Are. Christopher is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Hurston/Wright Foundation. As a graphic designer/copywriter/marketer by day and author by night, Christopher can usually be found behind the neon glow of his laptop. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading and traveling to new destinations. He is a shameless thrill-seeker, lover of roller coasters and all things that go fast. Christopher lives and works out of his home in Georgia with "the hubs" and their two dogs, and is currently writing his next novel.
For more information and works by the author please visit www.ChristopherMurphyBooks.com
Social Media Links:
Website www.ChristopherMurphyBooks.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/CMurphyBooks
Reviewed by: Mr. N